With This Kiss
by Whispers Of Tenderness
Summary: Kagome and Sesshomaru have found complete happiness in eachother, but tragedy strikes, and now the two star-crossed lovers must find there way through the pain and back to eachother. Sess/Kag very cute and sweet :
1. Chapter 1

With This Kiss

With This Kiss

A few feeble rays of the newly born sun slanted through the windowpanes and into the bedroom, its occupants still deep in the jowls of slumber and trapezing through the very sweet dreams of the night before. The strands tentatively stole into the room, slow to alert the world of daylight's casual approach. As the moments passed, they sluggishly crept across the floor, brightening the room in section. They advanced upon the bed and momentarily came to rest sprinkled on the sleeping girl's cheek, creating a lightshow of sorts. Warmth from the beaming sun trickled confidently through each ray, inevitably leading to it seeping through and, in turn, gently caress the cheek they'd paused to admire.

At first, she was blissfully unaware of the change, still trapped in the dark shadow of night. Kagome had never been one to rise easily in the mornings anyway. She preferred the secret pleasures of twilight and the blessed escape of sleep. Every day was always so busy for her, she just wanted the chance to get away from it all, and bed seemed to be the only place to acquire that refuge she so readily desired.

Soon, the change in temperature wasn't something she could ignore a moment longer and it softly prodded her awake, slowly and luxuriously, faint as the lightest brush of the fronds of a feather upon her skin.

Kagome felt her mind awaken before she could even try to force her eyes open but that was fine with her. She liked how it felt to come into herself part by part. First, she heard the sound of her own soft breathing, then the chirp of a blue jay that sounded as though it was right outside the window. Next, she heard the trees, dancing to the music made by the wind and lastly, very faintly, she heard the breathing of another. To her, that was the most important sound.

The miko's lashes fluttered as her eyes struggled against the weight of sleep. After a second or two, they were open and kagome took a deep breath, a languid peace flowing through her body, and yet, at the same time, she felt revitalized, tingling with the marvels of life. Any other time, any other place, she'd wake up and feel as though it was just another morning. Here, each day held a new thrill, a new mystery for her to sort out. Nothing was ever the same.

Well, except for one thing. Kagome knew that no matter what changes happened around her, no matter how the world spiraled out of control, that there was one thing she could always fall back on. One thing she knew would always be there to protect her. Her brick. The raven haired girl knew she wasn't some great beauty, or a special find, or any of those things that men said they always looked for. That's why she was so grateful for the opportunity she'd gotten. Never in her life had she truly had anything she wanted but now, she couldn't fathom ever wanting anything more than what she had. When she stopped to think about it, she felt that if at any given moment, she were to drop dead, well…

That'd just be okay. Because even though she was barely alive, barely twenty years old, she knew that her life had absolutely no chance of getting better than this. Every inch of her was sated and content and sometimes she had to wonder if she actually was dead because she could swear she was basking in the brilliance of heaven.

She owed everything she had to one person. He'd entered her heart and withstood the violent waves that threatened to throw him overboard and into the choppy, unforgiving waters. Kagome was shocked by how resilient he'd been upon his rickety ship, severely beaten down by her inner turmoil. Before she knew it, he had cleared away the clouds as though his attitude and determination was a magic eraser and brightened the gloom that at one point, loomed over her and threatened to consume her like fire quickly swept over paper; devouring it, conquering. He settled her seas and because of him, because of his loving devotion, they'd been calm ever since. She finally had a sun to rise and fall in the sandy beaches of her heart.

Arms found their way around her waist and a nose burrowed into her neck, lips just barely brushing over her shoulder blade on the way up. The girl's eyes drifted shut once again and a soft smile claimed her mouth. Fingers whispered over her stomach just enough to tickle her and she giggled, moving first to escape, then covering his hands with her own.

"Sesshomaru." She chided him but secretly, she was glad. The fact that the first thing he wanted to do each and every morning, the second he woke up, was touch her was enough to make her heart flutter, even after all that time. Of course, he heard it and chuckled, brushing his thumbs across her palms.

"Good morning." He whispered in the calm, soothing voice that always sent a hundred volts of electricity pumping into her heart. Kagome sighed and cuddled closer to him, just to make sure that she could feel him; that he was actually there.

"Is it a good morning?" she replied, barely making any sound because she knew he could hear her loud and clear. The demon lord could sense no sadness in her words; he figured she was merely speaking in that vacant way she does sometimes. He kissed her shoulder and securely held her in his arms.

"It is as long as I'm waking up beside you." He murmured into her sleek raven hair. Nothing Sesshomaru had ever thought his mate should be applied to this girl. That is probably why she was so perfect for him. He could remember the times he'd cursed the feisty little miko for her abilities and her stubborn attitude. Especially for the way she could invade his thoughts at the most inconvenient times of the day; which just so happened to be all day, every day. That had been the worst because for weeks, he'd been completely oblivious to the effect her snappy comments and fiery determination really had on him. Now, he could scarcely believe hat she'd actually accepted him and loved him even a fourth of the way he loved her. Sometimes, what he felt for her constricted his chest to the point where he was struggling for breath.

Kagome burst into laughter, "Sesshomaru, you're trouble." She responded smiling brilliantly. If only he knew what effect his words had on her. And she knew that he meant every word too. He would never lie to her.

"Take me as you will." If he was standing, he would've shrugged his shoulders. Kagome's eyes settled on the window and for a while, she just stared even though there wasn't really anything to look at. Just the brilliance of the light captivated and she found that she couldn't look away.

Sesshomaru absolutely adored how the sun made her skin sparkle as though a hundred million diamonds were imbedded there and the light was making each one wink and gleam at him. Every inch of her drew him like ravenous bees to the most luscious, pure, golden honey. He could never stand to be away from her; not to have her in arms length was, to him, like trying to keep a fish out of water. For him, she had become his habitat, his means for survival, and his purpose in life.

The demon lord swept his fingers through Kagome's ebony hair to expose her lovely, swan-like neck. He leaned over her, tenderly kissing her cheek. He was trying to get a reaction because it seemed to him like she'd zoned out. He hated it when she did that because it was like she left him in a sense. The miko's eyes drifted shut and her heart speed up but other than that, she showed no response. His lips ran over her neck and down across her shoulder in a blatant attempt to get her to pay attention. Finally, she intervened. His beautiful mate rolled around until she was facing him and she clicked her tongue in reprimand.

"Sesshomaru, its morning time." She admonished. "We're supposed to be getting _out _bed."

He gave a wicked grin that set her blood boiling. "The only difference between night and day is that one belongs to the sun and the other to the moon." he made it sound as though he was explaining the simplest thing in the world to her. Then, he adopted a purely innocent expression, "Why should we let a few stars ruin our fun?"

Kagome's cheeks flamed. Boy, if her mother was there…

"No, no, no." she took a hold of his wrist when he reached for her. Of course, it wasn't stopping him any; for the most part, he could do as he pleased with her. It was only his respect for her wishes and his intense love for her keeping him in serious check.

He growled playfully and snapped his teeth to show his unhappiness. The miko smiled at his incredible self control. It wasn't something she could really speak for; she'd never had that problem before him and it was probably a million times harder. She couldn't even begin to imagine how hard it could get for him but he seemed to be in such casual control of himself. Kagome admired him so much for his natural strength and will power, not to mention how he was in command of himself. Everyday, he gave her another reason to love him more deeply than she did not a moment before.

Kagome tilted up her chin and very briefly touched her lips to his. "Later." She whispered her promise. A very slow smile spread across Sesshomaru's face.

"Later." He agreed. He nuzzled his cheek against hers before lingeringly pressing his lips to the mark on the lower part of her neck. His mark. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she figured that she should be telling him to stop, but she just couldn't. The way he kissed that mark felt the same as him saying a million times that he loved her. Sesshomaru acted like he couldn't bear to have her not know for even one second and like he thought that he was further sealing that mark to her heart by kissing it with such tender reverence each and every day.

What he didn't seem to realize was that no matter what he did for her, no matter what he gave her, how much he kissed her, what words he said, no matter how hard he tried to show her that she should be with him, she was his forever. Nothing, absolutely no force on the gods' green earth, could severe the bond created by their fierce, unrelenting love.

Sesshomaru was the greatest blessing in her life. When he was created by the gods, they must've known that a stupid, clumsy, unworthy girl would come along some five hundred years later and decided to bestow upon her the most amazing gift that could ever be given to a person that clearly didn't deserve it. Kagome couldn't even try to think about where she would be if she didn't have his love to hold her up and keep her strong even during the hardest of times. No matter how hard she fell or how far down, he was always there with a playful smile and an outstretched hand, waiting to pull her back up and into the safe haven of his warm embrace.

The demon lord lifted his head and just stared into her eyes, a soft, affectionate grin on his face. He slowly brushed one wispy strand of her glossy hair off her forehead and then lazily ran the side of his index finger along the line of her jaw.

At one point, love was only a setback to Sesshomaru. A sign of weakness. Who needed something so feeble and insignificant? Only now did he see that _he_ needed it desperately. He'd never needed anything more. It was the _only_ thing he needed and he'd actually gotten it, in the form of this warm-hearted, affectionate girl whose radiance put even the sun to shame. If she ever were to leave him, it would be as though some cruel, evil witch with absolutely no soul carved out his heart with a jagged piece of tin, just to use it in the ultimate spell of the deepest grief. Sesshomaru had never cried actual tears once in his life but he was absolutely certain that if anything could break him that far down, it would be her.

Kagome slipped her fingers into the hair at his temple and ran them all the way through to his ends. Then, she sat up and kissed his nose before wriggling out from beneath him and got out of the bed. Sesshomaru stayed there propped up on his elbow and watched her. He just couldn't get enough of seeing her. Every day, all day, his eyes drank her in, rememorizing each of her features that he'd run his fingertips along at one point throughout the day. Her face was the best. His gaze was unfaltering as he looked at her and thought of her smile, that brought joy to him no matter what was happening, and her frown that brought him gut wrenching pain and the instinctive need to fix whatever it was that could place such an unwelcomed expression on that beautiful face.

The way he was looking at her was so unnerving. She figured she should be used to it by now, but it would take much longer than a few months to get used to being looked at as the only diamond in a pile of coal.

Kagome was trying to get dressed. She could barely slip into her kimono and now that she was looking at it, she wasn't sure if she liked the way she appeared in it. Kagome studied herself in the mirror, smoothing her hands along the silken fabric.

"Sesshomaru," she began, concerned, "does this make me look…?"

"No." he interjected. She turned and glared at him. He beamed back.

"Pretty?" she finished, smirking. The demon lord's smile didn't even falter.

"No." he repeated. Kagome gaped with surprise. There was a quick flash of movement and before she knew it, he was standing behind her, his hands on her waist. She gasped and he smiled into the mirror at her.

"It makes you look _beautiful_."

Kagome groaned, "Shut up," but she couldn't help the smile that bloomed on her face.

"What?" he asked innocently. "I merely speak the truth." Then, he released her and disappeared. Kagome let out a breath and turned back to her reflection in the mirror. Now, for some reason, the kimono looked a lot better than it did a few moments ago. She swept her hair of f her neck and pinned it up.

Just as she was about to turn away, he appeared again, right beside her. She jumped and placed her hand over her racing heart.

"Okay." She dropped her hand and caught his eye in the mirror. "You've _got_ to stop doing that."

"Not a chance." He replied. "I love you dearly Kagome, but this is too much fun."

She sighed and lowered her eyes for a moment to check the front of her kimono, but they came up again quickly when she felt a slight pressure on her collar. Only then did she notice the light blue crescent moon suspended from a chain that now hung around neck.

Kagome gasped and brought her hand up to the necklace, gently fingering it. "Sesshomaru." She breathed, hardly able to speak. He leaned down and kissed her cheek, then the side of her neck.

"It's a very unusual stone I'd found one day a hundred or so years ago." He explained keeping his eyes riveted on hers. "Something about it beckoned to me, drew me to it. For a reason I didn't understand, I picked it up and kept it all this time. I felt like I'd need it later." He smiled, "When I met you, the first thing that flashed in my mind was that stupid pebble that held absolutely no worth as far as I was concerned. The day you agreed to be my mate, seven months ago, I took it to a jeweler and had it made into this." He lifted the pendant with his index finger and let it fall.

Kagome was completely speechless. Even if she was able to form any words, she still wouldn't be able to think of any that could sufficiently describe what she was feeling. As a matter of fact, she was almost positive that those words didn't even exist. Her eyes lifted from the breathtakingly beautiful necklace to the man she loved. How did he know that something so tiny and simple could move her practically to tears? Was their love so deep and intense that that he could read her so easily now, to the point where it was almost as if he was reading her mind? She didn't doubt it. There was nothing Sesshomaru couldn't do.

"Now," he began softly, trailing his fingers down her neck and to her delicate shoulders, "we share the exact same mark." He lifted her hand that was on the crescent moon and kissed the first two fingers, bringing them first to the mark on his forehead and then gently touching them to her necklace. "Now, I've given you every possible part of me."

The raven haired girl was so touched that he would do something like that for her that tears welled in her eyes. In all honesty, she was sure there was nothing else he could give her; he'd so selflessly given his heart, soul, mind; everything. To him, this was the final piece to the jigsaw puzzle they'd created and when she placed it into its place, the edges fitting perfectly into everything they'd equally contributed, a few random pieces and holes would connect to create the final picture.

Nothing but strength, determination, prosperity, and the purest form of the sweetest love this world has ever been graced to have in its land.

Sesshomaru dipped his head and brushed his lips against her neck and when she didn't stop him, he reached up and undid her hair, running his fingers through it as it tumbled down in a black, silken waterfall. Kagome sighed and her eyes fluttered shut. She tipped her head a bit to give him more room.

Kagome felt as though she couldn't possibly turn him away now. Not after what he'd given her. But more importantly, she didn't _want_ to. If that was his plan all along, so be it but she highly doubted it. After living without her for five hundred some years, Kagome was convinced her that a few more hours wouldn't bother him too much. Or maybe that's exactly why it would.

Oh well. She'd probably never know because right then, he was being a very big distraction. Sesshomaru's hands trailed down her back and then around to her waist. Dimly, in the mirror, she saw him smile softly as the very tip of his nose traced up her neck to her jaw.

Kagome turned in his hold and threw her arms around him, lowering her head so he didn't see the tears that streamed from her eyes. Of course, he knew even if he didn't see her face and he held her closer, stroking her hair.

"What's the matter?" he asked, brushing a thumb across her cheek. Her eyes shut briefly and she leaned into him, tucking her head into his warm neck.

"I love you Sesshomaru." She finally whispered, forcing her words past a lump that made her throat four times smaller. "I love you so much."

The demon lord smiled again but she didn't see it that time. He leaned back and lifted her chin. "I love you too." He whispered back, looking deep into her eyes. Tears still glossed her lashes and her cheeks were flushed but she smiled and in that moment, she looked so beautiful that it took his breath away. He brushed his lips against hers, right in the middle of her smile. "More than you'll ever know Kagome."

The next time he kissed her, she held his head where it was and kissed him back. That was how they stayed until her knees gave out. Then, he swung her up into his arms and carried her to their gigantic bed, to start their day over in a new, love-filled way.

* * *

hey peeps!! i reallllllyyyyy hope you all like this one; i worked really hard to make it sweet and cute and everything. i would really appreciate it if you would review and actually, i'd love it if you could give me some ideas. let me know what else you think i could do with it!! you never know, some of you ideas could be in my next chapter. dont forget to check out my other story Passionfruit. its pretty far along and if you like this one, you'll love that one!! keep you're eyes peeled for reviews on either of these cuz im gonna try to be better about that!

that's all folks!

Whispers of Tenderness

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	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Kagome lay across Sesshomaru's chest, familiarizing herself with his beautiful sharp chin. Her index finger traced the lines of his jaw and then down to his sculpted chest. There were so many lines to follow there that she just gave up, staring at him in unveiled awe.

"How did I get so lucky?" she marveled to herself. Sesshomaru came alive beneath her, running his hand down her back and holding her hand on his chest. His lids opened and Kagome felt herself falling deep into the warm liquid amber of his eyes as he kissed the top of her head.

"Precisely what I was going to ask myself." He responded to her empty question. Kagome looked at him with a skeptical expression.

"Sesshomaru, please. You had me before the thought was even in your head."

His brow furrowed adorably, "On the contrary, love. I most certainly _thought _about it. I was thinking about this," he gestured to the bed and she blushed, "the very moment I saw you. And you, dearest Kagome, were hell bent on killing me."

Her eyes sparked, "Speaking of _this_," she motioned far less gallantly to their current position, "was this what you were trying to do all along?"

Get me back in bed?"

Sesshomaru frowned and shook his head, "Absolutely not." He replied firmly. The miko blinked, surprised. He pulled her closer. "Kagome, I love you too much for the words I love you to come anywhere near covering it anymore. I would never try to coerce you into our bed if you didn't want to. It was just a moment, I swear to you."

Unable to do anything else, she blinked again. For some reason, it seemed to really bother him that she thought even for a second that he'd manipulated her to get her to do _anything_. She wondered why, but she wasn't going to pressure him into any answers. If it upset him, she didn't want to stress her out over anything so little.

"Well, what was the necklace for?" she asked blankly. Instinctively, her hand came to her chest and her fingers closed around the pendant that felt as though it was already branded to her skin. The demon lord smiled his own, secret smile that she really didn't like.

"Because today is special." He responded. She was confused. As far as she could remember, nothing was going on. What could he be talking about? Did he have something planned for them?

"Special how?" she asked. "What makes today special?"

There was that smile again. It made her feel uneasy to see it. "It just is." He shrugged it off as if it was nothing and though she was confused, she left it alone. She figured she would be better off not knowing.

"Whatever." She sighed and he was surprised that she'd given up so easily. No matter, he preferred to wait a while and let her figure it out. Though she probably wouldn't all day and it would kill him to do so, he was willing to reign in his impatience for a bit. She laid her head on his chest and he could hear her breathing evening out. She was exhausted, which she should be. This stubborn girl never went to bed when she was supposed to and she was always tired. Maybe now she'd get a chance to sleep.

Sesshomaru ran his fingers through her hair, starting at her scalp to help ease her into much needed rest. Her blinks grew longer and longer until she was struggling to keep her eyes open.

"I love you." She murmured once more.

"I love you too." He responded kissing her forehead just as she fell asleep. He held her in his arms while she slept, feeling every shift, every movement, every breath. Her warmth was so reassuring to him that he never, ever wanted to let her go. The second she got up, it would feel like she left him empty, incomplete. He'd been half a person for over five hundred years. He couldn't bear to feel that way for even a second more. Without kagome, he would be completely and utterly lost.

Two hours later, a well rested, freshly bathed and dressed Kagome sat at the vanity, brushing the snarls out of her hair. She didn't quite understand it, but everything she'd ever wanted with her hair was beginning to happen. Now, she wasn't complaining, it was nice to have hair that did exactly what she wanted it to. She just thought it was a little strange that after all those twenty years of struggling with it, now it finally decides to be nice to her. Maybe Sesshomaru had something to do with it. Not that she would ever ask him; just a thought.

Speaking of Sesshomaru, he'd been losing his mind since Kagome woke up. He hadn't been able to keep his hands off her. Normally, that wouldn't bother her much, except she couldn't get anything done with him around. Every time she tried to move something or lift a box from her closet, there he was. He'd always been like that but for some reason, it seemed really irritating now. Finally, unable to take it anymore, she'd sent him off on some pointless errand just to get a few minutes of peace. It would take him no more than fifteen minutes even though she'd practically ran him to the other side of the earth but just fifteen minutes was enough for her at the moment.

Kagome couldn't fathom why he'd suddenly become so weird. She hadn't done anything to scare him lately, except that she almost fell out the window maybe half an hour ago. Ever since then, he'd been supper mega overprotective.

He reminded her of her mother.

The brush now glided through the miko's hair but she was so caught up in her thoughts, she just kept stoking it rhythmically. Maybe they needed a little time apart. She'd been there for practically a year, and she'd been away from all her other friends for eight whole months. Kagome could bet that Sango, Shippo, Miroku, and Inuyasha missed her a lot, even if that stupid idiot refused to admit it. They had no idea what had become of her; the last time she was there, she was packing up her stuff and saying she was leaving. They probably thought that meant that she was leaving for home, not leaving to be with Sesshomaru. She could only imagine the chaos _that_ knowledge would cause.

Maybe she would go spend some time with them. Even though she belonged to Sesshomaru, they would welcome her. Or at least _some_ of them would.

Or maybe she should go home for a little while.

Kagome worried her lower lip with her teeth, trying to figure out what to do. The last thing she wanted was to be away from Sesshomaru for any length of time but he seemed to be becoming dependent on her. Of course, with anyone else, that would be what she wanted and it was what she wanted with him too, but he was _the_ Sesshomaru. For what he did, for who he was, he couldn't afford to depend on anyone else. Everyone was after him at one point or another. Kagome didn't want to be the cause of him weakening. Maybe if she left for a couple of days, he would toughen up a little. It would be good for him.

Now she just had to grit her teeth and force herself to suffer through the endless hours of the day and waking up alone in a cold bed in the darkness of the night.

Kagome shut her eyes and tried to imagine it but just the thought was so painful, so agonizing that she actually struggled to remember how to breathe for a moment. When her eyes opened and she dragged a bit of stale air into her previously starved lungs, she'd come to a decision.

She would leave him for a couple of days. Go say hi to the rest of her friends and then go home to spend some time with her family. But only so she could say goodbye. Because when she left them, there would be no coming back. She would stay here, in feudal Japan.

With Sesshomaru. Forever.

"I find it quite humorous that every flower you requested was neither in my garden, nor anywhere within my realm. In fact, they seemed to be rather far spread." Sesshomaru entered the room with a small group of different flowers that she'd asked for. He was very subtly pointing out to her he knew that she'd been very careful in her selection.

Kagome turned to face him and smiled absently and the demon lord knew right away that something was bothering her. He walked up and spread the small bouquet over the vanity in front of her, and then he bent down and put his arms around her. She sighed and put down the brush, slipping her arms around his.

Maybe it had bothered her before, but right now, he was exactly what she needed.

"Sesshomaru," she began hesitantly, "I love you and I would never do anything to hurt you. You know that, right?"

The demon lord got a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach but he went along with the girl, "Yes miko, I know. As do I."

"And you know that if I ever did anything, it would be because I love you. So even if it seems like I'm doing something strange, it's because I care about you so much."

Sesshomaru released her and instead knelt in front of her and held her head in his two hands. "Kagome." he started an amused smile on his face. He wasn't amused in the least though. Oh, no. he was very, very scared. But he didn't dare show her that. "Kagome, what is it? Please just tell me."

The miko stared into his eyes, a very strange expression in her own. Then, she looked away and took his hands squeezing ever so slightly. She took a steadying breath before raising her eyes to his once more.

"Sesshomaru." This was her last chance to act like nothing was wrong, nothing was happening. She probably should but she knew already that she wouldn't, that her decision was final. She stared into the love of her life's eyes and prayed for him not to take this the wrong way.

"I want to go home." She murmured.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Kagome watched with unveiled horror as he took it the exact way she had prayed for him not to.

Every ounce of light left his eyes, leaving him staring blankly at nothing. The slight rosy tinge in his cheeks that Kagome always thought was beautiful slowly dissipated until his face was completely void of color. Even his hands which had held hers with such earnest a moment ago slackened and grew cold within her grasp, as though he didn't have the strength to move them anymore. All in all, he seemed to shrivel in on himself and Kagome felt that by saying those words, she'd just asked him to sacrifice his own life.

"No!" she cried, desperately, her own eyes filling with tears. "No Sesshomaru, please! I didn't mean it that way."

It was a long moment before Sesshomaru could find the right words, if any, to speak. He felt as though he was shattering, every part of him spontaneously crumbling into millions of irretrievable pieces. All that was running through his mind was those words, spoken so quietly and tenderly from those lips, with the sound of that beautiful lilt, condemning him to slow, and painful death.

"If it is what you wish," he finally said. Each word felt ripped from him, as though by some supernatural force, for he was fighting against his very being in saying them. But all that matter to him was her happiness, and if this was what it meant, then so be it. Kagome felt lost because it seemed like nothing she could say could make it right. She felt like she just ruined everything that could've ever been between them.

She shook her head vehemently, "No, no! Forget it! Forget I said anything! I don't want to do it if it's only going to upset you."

The demon lord wished he could take her up on her offer. He didn't want to let her go; not now, not ever, but if it was what she truly wanted…

"If you wish to go, then go Kagome. I will not stop you." He replied simply.

Kagome swallowed back a lump in her throat that was growing by the second. Why couldn't he see that she would _never_ leave him? That this wasn't at all the way he thought?

"Sesshomaru." She tried to explain, staving off her mounting panic, "I don't want to go home and be away from you. If you could come with me, I would demand that you did. But listen to me," Kagome put a hand on either side of his face since he was still kneeling in front of her, and looked deep into his eyes, ' I do not want to leave you. I _love_ you. Do you understand what I'm saying? _I love you._"

Her firm words slowly waded through the dark cloud possessing his mind and caused him to awaken. The demon lord dared to hope he was hearing her right. Did she say she didn't want to leave him? Did she honestly say that she loved him? Was it possible?

Sesshomaru's slightly glazed eyes shifted slowly to focus and the words tumbled from his lips completely of their own accord.

"You still wish to be with me?"

At hearing him say that so sweetly, so full of vulnerability but with so much hope and longing, Kagome realized exactly what effect her declaration had on him. She fell to her knees before him and wrapped her arms around the body she knew she could never live without.

"Yes," she whispered, "yes, I still want to be with you. I'll always want to be with you."

The demon lord was barely breathing. He was having a very hard time processing what she had just said. He wasn't sure if it was real. Did she not just ask to leave him? To disappear into the one place he couldn't follow? And now, his dear Kagome was saying exactly what he wanted to hear: that she loved him, she wanted to stay with him, and that she wanted to be with him. Could he let himself believe her?

It only took him a few seconds to realize that he couldn't convince himself not to.

"Oh Kagome," he murmured into her hair. His arms came around her and pulled her so close every inch of them was touching somewhere. "Kagome, Kagome, Kagome…" he went on and on, an endless mantra, keeping her tightly clasped to her, breathing in her scent and telling himself he would never let her go. Kagome thought her ribs might crack but she definitely wasn't going to say anything. It seemed like he needed that moment to het himself back together. Kagome was willing to do anything it took to get him to see that she wasn't actually _leaving _him. This seemed to be it.

After what felt like forever (which was fine with the both of them), Sesshomaru finally pulled back and looked into her eyes.

"You don't want to leave me?"

She shook her head slowly, "No."

"But you do want to leave." It wasn't a question, it was a statement. He knew what she was saying, must've heard in her voice that she really wanted to go. Kagome hesitated for a moment and Sesshomaru smiled reassuringly, resting his palms on her cheeks. "It's all right Lady Kagome." He said softly, "You may go anywhere the wind takes you, so long as you find your way back to me. I couldn't stand losing you."

Kagome's smile was sweet and tender, "I'd never run away from you Sesshomaru." She replied. Then, "and you could never lose me silly. I'm always close by," and she put her hand over his steady beating heart. He understood what she was implying immediately and smiled also. Yes, she would always be in his heart; there was no doubt about that.

"If you want to go home, go ahead. Now that I am assured you will come back to me, I see no problem with it." He told her calmly. He was really feeling better about the whole thing though it would still be hard to see her go.

Kagome breathed out a huge sigh of relief, "Is it really okay? Because I won't go if you don't want me to. Really, I won't. I'm just as happy right here with you."

The demon lord smiled, "Well, naturally I would prefer you always being by my side. But if it is really and truly what you want to do, then it is what I want you to do." He lovingly ran the pad of his thumb over her nose. She smiled again, slowly and warmly, and she set her hands on his wrists. He was so sweet and understanding. The miko knew that the chances of finding anyone as good as him in this time or her own were close to nothing. She was so lucky to be able to claim him as her own.

"You do realize what I want to go home for, don't you?" she asked softly. Kagome hadn't originally planned to tell him her reasoning g for the spontaneous visit, but he was being so good to her about it, she just wanted to make him happy.

The demon lord's brow furrowed slightly. He hadn't really thought about any reason she might have to go back to her home. But the way she was talking right then made him feel like he should know because it was of some sort of extreme importance.

"No," he replied slowly, "I assume it's to say hello to your relatives—"

"Goodbye," she broke in suddenly, the cutest half smile on her face. He faltered for a moment, confused.

"I beg your pardon?"

Kagome looked deep into his sharp amber eyes, "I'm not going to say hello." Her tone was playful, but he could tell how completely serious she was, "I'm going to say _goodbye_."

The demon lord stared at her for a moment, "Goodbye?" he echoed dumbly (as dumbly as Sesshomaru could anyway). Kagome nodded, thrilled.

"Mhmm. Forever."

Sesshomaru's beautiful eyes widened as what she said clicked in his mind. "Forever?" there was no sound to his words, he merely mouthed them, but to Kagome, it was all the more powerful that way. She'd actually managed to leave him speechless for once, instead of it being the other way around.

"Yes Sesshomaru. Forever and a couple years after that," she closed her eyes, imagining what it would be like for her, for them, "I want to go this once so I never have to go again. I want to live here with you in your gigantic palace and wake up in your arms every morning." She giggled, "I want to be near you so much that your smell is in my skin. I want to get annoyed some mornings because your hair is on my clothes. I want to be around you so much that I'll already have the reason why it doesn't bother me figured out."

Once again, the demon lord was speechless. It was very rare that she made him this way and hearing what she was saying was pulling things from him that he no longer thought he had. His throat tightened in the most peculiar way and he felt as though even if he had words, he wouldn't be able to speak them. Kagome went on, heedless of the emotions overtaking him.

"I want to be with you for so long, time no longer has meaning." She opened her eyes and finally saw the expression on his face. She had to pause for a minute because the tenderness in his golden eyes was overwhelming. She could feel herself preparing to cry and willed the tears flooding her eyes away. "I want to have all my babies with you," she didn't miss his soft intake of breath, but she kept going, "I want to give you a strong, healthy heir to carry on your legacy, but I also wan to give you a precious baby girl, or whatever else you want. I want to watch them grow up and be blessed with a love as extraordinary as ours because there's no other gift in this world more magnificent than that. And then, I want to be able to cradle their babies in my arms with you right there by my side and—" she could've kept going, but he'd heard enough to be convinced. Without warning, Sesshomaru leaned forward and kissed her, cutting off her words. She stiffened slightly with surprise, but the feeling of his hands on her waist, pulling her closer, completely loosened her up. Kagome responded to the unbridled passion in his kiss by giving the rest of her words without speaking. She could tell he knew what she was saying.

Sesshomaru was stunned by all the things she'd been saying, but the second she started going on about having his children, he was so overcome with love and admiration for her, he couldn't keep himself from kissing her anymore. She spoke so sweetly and confidently, as though she felt it was an honor to bear his pups. Nothing could make him happier at that moment than to hear how much she wished to raise a family with him. There was nothing he wanted more.

The miko's arms wound around Sesshomaru's neck even as his own arms came around her waist to hold her as close as he possibly could. She didn't know what it was that she'd said that had driven him to that point, but she honestly didn't care. It didn't matter anyway; she'd completely meant everything she said.

Sesshomaru pulled back, kissing her eyes and cheeks before withdrawing completely, "Kagome, you do not realize how much joy you have filled me with by saying those things to me." He declared softly. The miko smiled and laid her head on his shoulder.

"I meant every single word."

The demon lord's heart swelled once again, though she didn't say it all again, her words just moments ago continued to play in his mind.

Kagome squeezed him ever so slightly, then pulled away and took his hands. There was one thing she hadn't gotten to tell him yet, "Sesshomaru," she began in the same tone that had started this whole thing, except this time, the demon lord wasn't nearly as worried, "when I told you I wanted to say goodbye, I didn't mean just to my family."

His brow furrowed, "What do you mean? Who else where you referring to?"

The raven-haired girl spoke slowly as not to startle him or anything, "I want to say goodbye to _everyone_. Including the people in this time."

Sesshomaru wracked his brain, trying to figure out who she could be talking about. The answer was, of course, obvious; he just couldn't seem to think of it. It took him a minute, but the encouraging look in her eyes helped prompted his decision, "Do you mean…?" he didn't go on. He hoped he was wrong.

She nodded her head, "Yes. My friends. And your brother."

There was a long silence in which Kagome felt she would die if he didn't answer.

"No," he replied flatly. Kagome was completely shocked. He'd never, in the entire eight month period they'd been together, told her couldn't do something. No matter how much it may have bothered, he wouldn't flat out say no.

"What?" she asked flustered.

"No," he repeated firmly, completely unrelenting. Sesshomaru would give her anything she wanted, he'd even let her leave him, but this was one thing he couldn't allow.

Kagome was still flabbergasted. "But why not? I used to live with them Sesshomaru."

He shook his head, "That's right. _Used_ to. You don't anymore."

"So? What does that have to do with anything?"

Sesshomaru sighed, exasperated, "Kagome, dearest, it's been quite awhile since you were with them. Certain… opinions of you may have changed"

She sighed, "You're talking about Inuyasha, right?" when he didn't answer, she knew she was right, "Sesshomaru, you two's problems aren't my problems."

"Yes," his voice hardened, "at this point, they are. He will resent the fact that you now belong to me."

"Yes, well, the difference is that I don't give a damn." Any other time, that whole belonging to business would bother her, but she actually liked the concept of being his property. It was so different with him in that she felt like she was the luckiest person in the world to know that she belonged to him. Now, her expression showed her vehemence.

If the situation weren't so serious, the demon lord would've laughed. She went on, unwilling to give in.

"He's not the only one there that I want to see. I have other friends that I couldn't stand to leave forever without saying goodbye to. If push comes to shove, I'll just ignore him—"

"Kagome."

"—I mean, he's not _that_ important. Hell, he's the one who gave me the most trouble —"

"Kagome,"

"—he never treated me right anyway. He doesn't even _deserve_ for me to come say bye to him!"

Sesshomaru took her face into his hands, "My love," finally, she stopped talking though her chest was heaving from the lack of air, "any other time, I'd let you go, you must understand that." He looker her eyes and she could tell he meant it.

"But why not now?" she whined, "What's so special about right now? I'm just as strong as I was back then, if not stronger now that you run through me. He can't do anything to hurt me."

He shook his head for maybe the millionth time in that discussion, "Kagome please. I love you and you're about to leave me. I know it is something you really want to do, so I don't want you to take any chances that may impede you. You're especially sensitive right now as well, what with you getting ready to change you life completely around. Just, please, I beg you; see this one thing my way."

The raven-haired girl pouted for a little longer, even tried climbing into Sesshomaru's lap and begging, but it was clear that he wasn't going to budge. He didn't mind her in his lap though.

Finally, Kagome got up and walked over to the closet, throwing it open more for something to do than any real need. Her husband, so to speak, was royally pissing her off. All she wanted to do was say goodbye to all her friends of this time. She never really did get a chance to, and plus, they didn't know where she was. She was pretty sure they all thought she was at home, which, technically she was, just not the home they were all thinking of. How surprising it would be to discover she'd been there all that time. But Sesshomaru, though she loved him to pieces, was being quite the stubborn ass. He was acting as though he thought she couldn't take care of herself, like she was too fragile to handle one stupid half demon.

"Kagome," he began tiredly, "it is not that I doubt your abilities when it comes to taking care of yourself against my brother."

The miko turned around, astounded, "and when did you start reading minds?"

Sesshomaru smiled briefly from his spot on the ground, "Please see where I am coming from. I love you dearly. I do not want you in any environment that may cause some harm to befall you. Especially if I can not be there to protect you."

Kagome had turned back to her closet when he began speaking again, but then she whipped around, a huge smile on her face.

"So come with me."

The demon lord was momentarily caught off guard, "Excuse me?"

Suddenly delighted with the easy solution, Kagome crossed the room to him and grabbed his hands, pulling him to his feet. "You heard me, Sesshomaru." She slipped her arms around his waist and looked up into his warm amber eyes. "Since you're afraid your dumb brother will hurt me or something, come with me when I go to them. That way you can keep me safe or whatever."

"Kagome," the demon lord was slightly dazed by her sudden change, "please do not take this offensively, but are you completely insane?"

The raven haired girl laughed out loud, "No. of course not. I'm as sane as can be. Why do you think I'm crazy?"

"Because the words you say to me make no sense." He replied bluntly. "Obviously, my coming with you to visit the brother that despises me to the point that it drives him to rash acts is not the best idea you've had."

"Once again, who cares about Inuyasha?" she reiterated calmly. Her arms were still around his waist because she absolutely refused to give up on her plan. This was foolproof; there was no way he could tell her no because his entire argument was solved.

Sesshomaru chuckled. Her determination was just one more reason he loved her. He'd discovered that particular trait, however, rather early their relationship.

"Very well," he said resigned. Kagome's face lit with glee and her arms tightened around him momentarily.

"I can go back to them?"

"Yes. You may go back to visit your friends. But I'll definitely be there."

The raven haired girl squealed with joy and reached up to grab his face, "Sesshomaru, I don't know if you realize this, but I love you." And she gave him a peck on the lips before releasing him and skipping back to the closet.

The next twenty or so minutes were another argument about when they would be going to visit Inuyasha and the others. Naturally, it would take a bit of time to track them down; they obviously wouldn't be in the same spot she left them at eight months ago. That, however, was the least of Sesshomaru's problems. He was a pure dog demon after all; his nose was so sharp it would take him mere minutes to track them wherever they were. To Kagome, it seemed like his whole purpose was to dissuade her from going. Every second, she was hearing an 'it is very dangerous for you right now, Kagome,' or 'I am still unsure of this, love,' and even, 'do we really have to do this hummingbird?'

That one was the most fun. He'd taken to calling her hummingbird because of the way she was while they were talking. She couldn't stand to be still in the middle of their 'discussion' so every couple of seconds, she was flitting to different places in the room and eventually, around the entire castle to the point that Sesshomaru had was trailing behind her. Once he practically had to chase her up and down hallways in his own home, he had frustratingly referred to her as a hummingbird. Surprised because she hadn't realized what she was doing, Kagome vainly tried to stay in one spot but she fidgeted so much, the demon lord ended up laughing at her.

Of course, that argument ended up the same way as the first one; Kagome got her way. They would be leaving to visit all of her friends in three days but she'd come back to the palace and three days after that, she'd leave for home and spend- this was the only decision Sesshomaru got to make and he surprised her with his answer- five days saying goodbye to her family and packing up anything she thought she would need.

For the rest of forever.

When she said those words to Sesshomaru, he stopped speaking and just looked at her and then smiled. He continued to smile every time he looked at her all day. Sometimes, when she would be doing something else like reading a book or sun tanning in the garden, she would look up at catch him smiling at her with the sweetest look in his eye. He also seemed overly clingy, but not in a bad way, but not in a bad way. At least, not to Kagome.

Later in the day, she'd been lying in a makeshift hammock, picking daisies and making a crown by braiding them together. Sesshomaru came from no where and lay beside her, not even disturbing the hammock, and stroked her arms with his fingertips, occasionally kissing her cheek or her temple or anything in reach.

Sesshomaru had always been extremely gentle, but as of late, he'd been treating her as though he thought she would fall apart. It was weird for him. Even in the beginning of their relationship, he didn't act that way. Kagome wondered why he was being like that. It could be because of her decision and the fact that in six days, they would be apart for the first time… ever. That would definitely explain the clinginess. Hell, she didn't know how she was going to manage walking away from him.

Kagome awoke from her daze of thought because she noticed that the rhythmic swirling of his fingertips that had steadily been slowing down had come to a complete stop. The miko focused more intently on man lying beside her and realized that the stream of his breath on her neck had become long and deep and he was completely relaxed against her. She smiled ever so slightly and was careful not to move so as not to awaken him. She let her arm hang over the side of the hammock so her fingertips were just barely grazing the ground. A few minutes later, she was asleep, feeling warm and secure, and most importantly, filled the brim with love.

An hour or so after the miko drifted to sleep, Sesshomaru woke up, his thoughts still a heavy burden on his mind. What in the world was he going to do with that girl? She belonged to him, after all. Shouldn't he be the one telling _her _what to do? Just the thought made him smile. He knew it would never work that way with his hummingbird, the little demanding thing she was.

He just wished that on this one thing, she would relinquish the control to its rightful owner and do what he said. If he knew anything, Sesshomaru knew his dimwitted brother and he knew she was seriously underestimating what his reaction would be to hearing that Kagome was now mated to the brother he absolutely despised. It was common knowledge that the half breed had strong feelings for the miko though he continued to carry on his affair with the hellish clay pot or whatever it was. That was most certainly his mistake from the beginning. That stupid hanyou chased the girl right into the demon lord's arms.

That had to be the best thing, as a brother, Inuyasha could've ever done for him. It was a very good thing he was so irrevocably dumb. Just to think, if he had been even inkling smarter, he may have realized what an astounding woman he had just begging for his attention, and he may have kept her. And then, Sesshomaru would walk around for the rest of his very long life, missing an entire half of him.

But regardless of all that, Sesshomaru knew what kind of pure anger he'd probably be faced with. Inuyasha could be quite a pain once his fur had been ruffled enough. The bad thing was almost every example of what his anger could lead him to do that the demon lord had seen had something to do with the miko. Whether her actions where the cause of it, or someone else's actions against her, Inuyasha's temper flared almost instantly, leading him to do things he could never do any other time. And it had been quite some time since he'd gotten to see Kagome. Sesshomaru didn't know if that was good or bad, but he was betting on bad.

Why couldn't she see this for herself? All Kagome could focus on was the fact that she was going to get to visit all her friends. He didn't even understand why it was such an important event for her. The demon lord did see why going back to her time was extremely substantial, but Inuyasha? Was he still that important to her?

The mere notion made his chest tighten uncomfortably. Even after eight months, the half breed was still on her mind? Why would she even bother with someone who refused to lower his pride for even a moment and acknowledge his feelings for her? No, she was a very smart girl. She knew far better than to let herself lower her standards and have feelings for someone who treated her the way he did. Kagome had told the demon lord she loved him several times, just that day. He had no doubt in his mind that her heart was still beating for him.

The demon lord just hoped that whatever happened three days from then, he'd be able to protect her before anything really bad happened.

Sesshomaru shifted slightly so he was on his side and gently swept Kagome's hair off of her forehead, then slipped his arm around her waist so his hand dangled in front of her stomach. Kagome sighed in her sleep and rolled more into him, smiling softly. That made the demon lord chuckle. Even in her sleep, she was dazzling him with her smiles.

Her scent wafted towards his nostrils and he drank it in, reveling in the unique, wonderful smell that had been slowly dominating his senses. He hoped, he prayed, that everything would work out the way she wanted it to.

Now was such a terrible time for all of this. He couldn't stand to let anything harm her. Everything had to work out.

*****


End file.
